This popular studio recently opened another location in Leslieville. It was my first lagree class ever. I had been curious about it for a long time, but was also intimidated as all my fitness junkie friends told me this is one the THE hardest workouts.
Well, the class lived up to its reputation as "pilates on crack". Lagree originated in California as being a killer workout for toning and cardio while still being low impact thanks to the megaformer (basically a pilates reformer on steroids... it is longer and has more handles and features than the standard one). No matter how fit you think you are, chances are you are going to feel challenged in a new way here. It's a great thing, but just be warned that this is best for people who are already active and have a good sense of their limits and how to do basic moves (e.g. planks, squats, lunges) with proper form. I think if you were a total fitness newbie, this class would go way too fast and you might risk injury.
What makes it so hard? Well, you are constantly working with the resistance of the springs and there are pretty much NO breaks in the 50 mins. The class I attended didn't even have much of a warm up. We went straight into some arm exercises and I was sweating and shaking 5 minutes in! The class is formatted like HIIT, there are different moves done for 30-90 seconds at a time. You work the same body part until exhaustion, rather than switching sides mid-way. You cannot cheat on a reformer! If you don't do the move correctly, the carriage won't move. I did not really feel it was as much cardio as they advertise, but I felt it was a great full body workout. It wasn't pretty though. There were moments I had to hang on to the machine for dear life... I definitely recommend reducing the number of springs if you are struggling. I finally did that mid-way through the leg series. Even with less resistance, it's still really hard!
The studio itself is clean and connected to a boxing studio, Studio KO. They have a shared change room, which is pretty basic. A couple individual shower stalls and individual washrooms (unisex). Not much space to really change, dry your hair or anything. I would just go home sweaty and shower at home, unless I really had to go somewhere after and be presentable. Front desk staff were friendly. There's a small boutique area. Machines were in good condition. The class I attended on a weeknight only had 6 people, but regardless, even if the class if full, you stay on your machine so it's not like you worry about hitting other people.
They are on ClassPass but it's usually 12 credits. The class packages are quite pricey, but in line with other reformer classes in the city. There are "back to basics" classes for beginners but they are not offered very frequently on the schedule, so my 1st class was their signature "M3 Fusion" class.
The instructor Leigh was tough but approachable. She oriented me to the machine at the start of class since it was my first time. Compared to reformer classes at traditional pilates studios, the moves are faster so there isn't as much opportunity for the instructor to adjust your form.
The atmosphere matches the tough workout - black and red décor, low lighting, hip hop music. Although there were moments I thought I was dying, it all went by so fast and I did feel really accomplished afterwards. I also felt like "what just happened?" lol... It's super intense and then just like that, it's over. I still can't decide if I want to go back or not. I think if you like super hardcore bootcamp style workouts or want to take your fitness to the next level, this is for you. I'm more of a yoga/pilates person that likes an element of relaxation and a more gentle approach so I don't think I will be a regular here. But I can see myself coming back every now and then for a good sweat... or if I'm just feeling particularly masochistic...! read more